Should we still include letter formation as part of our Reception phonics lessons now that the Handwriting programme has been published?

Yes, but the focus must remain on phonics.

Teaching letter formation and the formation phrases during phonics lessons helps children to learn the grapheme-phoneme correspondences. By linking the shape of the letter to the formation phrase, you are supporting them to build the link between the letter and the sound.

It is important to note children who are not correctly forming letters and follow this up in the handwriting lessons or through additional practice.

Handwriting should be taught precisely and explicitly in a separate lesson.